Ball Python Feeding??

Question

I just got my ball python about 1 week ago..on a friday, and he was fed on Thursday, the pet store said he needs to eat on the same day every week, i feed him the fuzzies. But i have been tryin to feed him since thursday and he wont eat, i dont know if he is still getting used to things, hes not trippin out or nothin, i want to try live baby mice but i dont know if hes is still too small...i dunno, but i want him to eat, but i wont force him...By the way he is about 3 months old & about 1.5 feet long. HELP?!

Answer 1

It is not uncommon for Ball pythons to be fussy eaters. It could be that your snake is preparing to shed which means it will not eat. It is also a time where if you are ever going to be bit by such a docile snake it will happen. There are some tricks to make difficult eaters eat. You might get a small rubbermaid container that you can fit the snake and the mouse (baby or hopper) into (make sure they can both get air) sometimes being in such small quarters compells a snake to eat.

With any animal, husbandry is very important. Make sure you have the temps at optimal conditions for a Ball. The animal may be stressed from to much exposure. Snakes prefer being unseen, make sure there is a good hiding spot. BTW Pythons are not colubrids.

Good luck!

Answer 2

"The Dreadhead" had a great answer and is very true so I won't re-itterate the info, but I will add a couple of things........First, it is better to feed pre-killed and best to start the habit while the snake is young. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave a live mouse or rat in the cage with a snake!!! They can and will attack your snake and unfortunately, snakes do not have the ability to associate the pain of being eaten alive with what is causing the pain. In other words, your snake will not kill the mouse just because the mouse is biting it. If the snake is not hungry....it will not kill the mouse, period!!! Keep in mind as well that a healthy snake can go for long periods of time without eating and not suffer any negative side effects. However, you should make sure that all of the environmental requirements are being met, and have an experienced reptile vet do an exam. The other thing I wanted to add, since ball pythons are notoriously picky eaters, is that it has worked well for me and for many others to feed our balls in the "dark".. Ball pythons are shy and secretive and so you can purchase a red-light (reptiles do not see the red light as "light" so they think it is dark) so that you can see and heat is still being provided and turn all other lights in the room off and then try feeding. Do not handle or disturb your snake in any way prior to feeding.......it will most likely not eat. Also, provide your ball with a hide spot close to the basking light. Mine has a ceramic cave right under the basking light which absorbs the heat so she can stay hidden and still be warm (never use heat rocks----dangerous!!!) I do, however, quickly and quietly remove the cave before offering her the mouse, but in a way that does not disturb her. Ball pythons seem to be less "stressed" and are better eaters when they have a good hide spot. Good luck to you and your snake!!

Answer 3

As mentioned before, Ball Pythons (or Royal if you prefer) are notorious for being fussy eaters. The first thing you should ALWAYS do is find an exotic vet in your area who can deal with coluboids.You should have him checked for parasites, and an overall health exam. Bring a stool sample if possible. Better safe than sorry.
As for not eating, the first question would be to ask about his environment. Do you have proper bedding? Do you have proper heat and humidity requirements? Secondly, has he gone to the bathroom? If not, you may have to wait to feed him. Have his eyes turned blue? That's a sign he'll shed. Also, if he's only 1.5 feet, I would feed him nothing bigger than a hopper, pinkies are too small. Finally, I STRONGLY DISAGREE with the previous notion of the "small rubbermaid container." Mice can be VERY aggressive, and I have had mice chew the eyes and face off of other mice when kept together. Every day, owners find their snakes nibbled on and injured by these ravenous rodents. Don't let your Ball be one. I do suggest feeding him in a seperate container, but not one that is small and gives the snake a chance to get away from the prey.

Answer 4

I would say he is probably overstressed. After bringing a new snake home, you should have placed him in his cage and put him someplace that has limited activity. No picking him up, no feedings. Just leave him alone to settle in. After 7 days in his new environment offer food.
Even though he has been with your for a week, it is not too late to do this now. Just leave him be for a full 7 days.

After that 7 days is up, you can offer food. Place the food item in the cage and if the snake doesn't eat in 20 minutes or so, remove the food and DO NOT offer anything again for another week. Trying to feed to often will just cause even more stress to the snake causing even more time before he feeds.

Make sure the cage temps are correct, make sure you have a hide in the cage and plenty of fresh water . In time the snake will eat. They are known for being fussy feeders. You could also try a slightly larger meal. He is plenty large for hopper mice.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

I had this same problem with my python when I first bought him.

Snakes can go up to 9 months without eating, so don't fret.
Baby snakes are very sensitive to their environment, so it takes them a while to adjust from the pet store to your home.

When they finally feel comfortable, they will eat. It may take a month or two.

In the mean time, make sure his tank is always at the correct temperature and humidity.

I would look up some information online about ball pythons. There is wealth of information for you to read about and how to care for them.

Answer 6

ok it will take him time to adjust to his new surroundings. you don't have to feed him on the same day each week. you can pick a day and fed him then. i have 2 of them and they are 5-5 1/2 ft long and they are eating every other week, but i don't feed on the same day but i tr to feed around the same time. depending on how fast he eats the fuzzies you can move to the next size of mice. if the middle part of his body is bigger then the fuzzy mouse then you can go bigger. the way to tell if he can eat bigger is to see if the bigger part of his body is bigger then the food that you are feeding. mine are eating med-large rts and they eat them fast. don't listen to what pet stores tell you because when you buy them you can do what you want, you can also feed when you want, just use your best judgement on that. well good luck and i hope that i helped you a bit.

Answer 7

It may be very in poor health instructed to feed any snake are living meals. There is disorders with the competencies harm that may occur to the snake (Eye harm is an overly natural challenge). The pleasant strategy to get your snake to feed useless mice is to buy an extended set of feeding tongs and maintain the mouse with them, transfer the mouse round within the viv and the snake will believe that the mouse is alive.

Answer 8

i have two of them i feed them live mice you know feeder mice i got them from petco, feed them 2 every week and dont pick it up aftre it eats you ned a heat lamp for it though.